Success Stories

Convention Center Boosts Public Recycling Effort

When implementing recycling most businesses don’t have to contend with a 750,000 square foot facility receiving more than 500,000 visitors a year. But the Duke Energy Convention Center (DECC) decided that reducing waste and recycling was necessary to remain competitive. “Going green is not an option in the 21st Century. It is a mandatory element of business in a socially conscious business environment” says Ric Booth general manger of DECC.

One of the largest portions of the waste from conventions is cardboard, a result of thousands of vendors at conventions and the large number of supplies needed to support a convention. DECC set out to reduce this waste stream in April 2008 with a cardboard baler. Alongside the cardboard recycling, DECC began recycling paper from their offices. By the end of 2008, they had recycled 43 tons of cardboard and 13.5 tons of office paper.

With the immense number of people attending conferences the convention center every year, DECC decided a ‘behind the scenes’ recycling program was not enough. DECC wanted to make recycling available to the public. They received a grant from Ohio Department of Natural Resources to help purchase 20 interior recycling containers to place throughout DECC. The containers complement the interior of the newly designed facility but are also well labeled to signify recycling to visitors.

The recycling and other environmental initiatives help DECC stay competitive. “One of the first questions frequently asked by event planners is ‘What are you doing to be green?’” explains Darren Cotton, Director of Operations at the DECC. The sales team can promote DECC’s efforts to recycle and other green initiatives like using low or no VOC based paint and purchasing recycled content paper products for the restrooms.

DECC successfully recycled 77 tons of material from their waste stream in 2008 after not even a full year of recycling. Congratulations and thanks for representing Cincinnati in such a green light!
 

HP Harnesses Creativity to Promote Recycling and Waste Reduction

In June 2008, the Cincinnati branch of Hewlett-Packard set out to increase recycling in order to reduce waste at their corporate office of about 350 employees. True to the inventive nature of the company, HP found creative ways of motivating employees to hop on the green bandwagon!

Throughout April, HP encouraged employees to adopt green habits like recycling, riding the bus to work, and using their own water bottles, by holding an “Earth Day Raffle”. As the world’s largest technology company, they had access to some exceptional consumer products to place into the drawing for those that met the challenge, including an Energy Star rated HP mini PC, a Solio portable solar charger, and an ActivTrax solar iPod speaker.

The office is also working to phase out disposable Styrofoam cups. They purchased HP labeled mugs and reusable water bottles, and provided a free mug or bottle to employees who pledged to give up Styrofoam. As an added bonus, employees taking the pledge during April also received a ticket for the Earth Day raffle.

HP employees can bring in computers for recycling throughout the year. As part of the Earth Day activities, they provided a convenient drop-off service for employees to dispose of unwanted home computers and electronic equipment. More than 5 skids of equipment were collected in one week! Usable equipment was cleaned up and donated to local schools and nonprofit organizations, and the remainder was returned to HP’s recycling facility for reclamation, recycling, and proper disposal.

All the promotion has paid off! After one year, HP has recycled over 10 tons of materials, and saved over $3,000 through waste reduction and recycling equipment with useful life remaining.

Hats off to HP for your success!
 

Mercy Mt Airy Saves Significant Green

In September 2008, the Mt. Airy branch of Mercy Hospital implemented a hospital wide recycling program. In addition to the cardboard recycling already in place, Mercy Mt. Airy began recycling in staff lounges, patient waiting areas, cafeterias, and offices. They found that recycling cost significantly less than landfilling the same amount of material. After only six months of recycling, the hospital saved over $4,600 in avoided trash bills!

Why was the program so successful? Mercy Mt. Airy received support from top management including the CEO and Vice President of Operations. The hospital took the Go Green Challenge to set an official goal to increase recycling. Finally, Mercy Mt. Airy garnered employee participation by setting up a display in the cafeteria in the beginning of the program, posting flyers and signage, and giving presentations to employees about recycling. In the first six months, Mercy Mt. Airy recycled 43.9 tons of material and achieved a 20% recycling rate! Their recycling efforts:

• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 34 MTCE, equivalent to removing 22 cars from the road for a year.
• Saved 346 trees.
• Conserved enough energy to power 6 homes for an entire year.

Congratulations on your success, Mercy Mt. Airy!